Scherrer Winery Helfer Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, USA 2017

Helfer Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 (Russian River Valley) is one of California’s most quietly impressive single-vineyard Chardonnays made in a style that leans more Burgundian than Californian in spirit. Sourced from a densely planted, low-yield site in the Vine Hill area, the wine is crafted by Fred Scherrer with a minimal-intervention approach: hand-farmed fruit, native fermentation, barrel aging, and bottling unfined and unfiltered to preserve detail and texture. In the glass, the 2017 shows a more evolved, layered expression of Russian River Chardonnay: tangerine, citrus oil, green apple, and stone fruit, backed by subtle creaminess, spice, and a distinct mineral line.